


Even Steven

by dsa_archivist



Category: due South
Genre: Drama, Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-02-16
Updated: 1999-02-16
Packaged: 2018-11-11 05:14:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11141718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dsa_archivist/pseuds/dsa_archivist
Summary: After the events in "Victoria's Secret" and "Letting Go", Fraser and Ray have a discussion.





	Even Steven

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

OK, I am going to be brave and actually post something

OK, I am going to be brave and actually post something. This story is a  
result of something that has been bothering me for a long time. Does  
anyone else feel that something major was left unresolved at the end of  
"Letting Go"? I do, and the following is my not so humble attempt to  
rectify the situation.   
  
Comments are welcome, but please, be gentle. I'm a rookie!   
  
The story takes place immediately following "Letting Go". Rated PG.  


## EVEN STEVEN

  


Raymond Vecchio and Benton Fraser sat  
at the window of Ben's hospital  
room. They were sharing a pair of  
binoculars and "observing" the  
activity in various windows in the  
surrounding buildings. Ray was  
peering intently at a couple whiling  
away the lunch hour in a most  
creative fashion. He was so absorbed  
that he didn't notice that Ben had  
become pensive, staring into space,  
lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly,  
Ray broke into a grin.  
  
"Holy cow, Benny! I think that woman just broke one of the laws of  
physics!"  
  
Fraser didn't answer. He did not even appear to have heard. He continued  
staring straight ahead.  
  
"Benny?" questioned Ray.  
  
Fraser turned to him, looking very troubled.  
  
"Ray..." he paused. "I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?"  
  
The look on Ben's face turned to one of incredulity.  
  
"For what?!? For almost ruining your life!"  
  
"Oh... look, Fraser..."  
  
"No, Ray, please just let me say this, OK?"  
  
Ray looked uncomfortable, but he nodded. Benny obviously needed to say  
this, and if truth be told, Ray needed to hear it.  
  
Fraser took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  
  
"You're the best friend I've ever had, Ray."  
Ben broke into a grin, but there was no humor behind it.  
  
"I've got a hell of a way of showing it, don't I?"  
  
Ray opened his mouth, then closed it again. He wanted to tell Fraser  
that everything was all right. But it wasn't. Not yet.  
  
"I've never had anyone stand up for me the way you did. You put  
everything  
on the line for me: your job, your house, your family. And  
how do  
I repay you? By kicking you in the face."  
  
"Benny, no."  
  
"What? My God, Ray! I was leaving! Don't you get that?"  
  
"Yeah, well, I found a way to stop you, didn't I?" Ray asked, the pain  
and bitterness clear in his voice.  
  
"Ray! that was an accident! But what I did to you..."  
  
"Look, Benny, it may not have been an accident, but it wasn't entirely  
your fault, either."  
  
"Excuse me?!?"  
  
"No, I mean it."  
  
"Exactly how strong are those pain killers they're giving you?"  
  
Ray grinned. "Unfortunately, Fraser, I'm stone cold sober."  
  
Ben smiled slightly.  
  
"Come on, Benny, she had you twisted up into all kinds of knots. You  
weren't exactly thinking clearly the last few days."  
  
Ben snorted. "You have a way with an understatement, Ray."  
  
"She knew how to push all your buttons, Benny."  
  
Fraser looked at him, and Ray winced inwardly at the pain in his  
friend's eyes.  
  
"Yeah, she knew how to play me. Probably better than even she had  
anticipated. She actually had me thinking that she loved me."  
  
Ben stared out the window again. Just as Ray was wondering if he would  
continue, Fraser turned back to face him.  
  
"I would have come back, you know. It would have been far too late, but  
I would have come back. You would have gotten your house back. Maybe  
even your job. But what would have happened to your career? The whole  
ugly mess would have followed you forever. As for me? Well, I would  
have lost everything. My career. My freedom. But more than that, I would  
have lost you, Ray. I would have lost the most important person in my  
life. And I think that's what Victoria wanted all along. She wanted to  
destroy me. If she couldn't do it one way, she would do it another."  
  
"But she didn't." Ray said firmly.  
  
"No." But Ben did not sound convinced. He took another deep breath and  
looked at Ray.  
  
"She never loved me." It was a statement, but Ray could hear the  
question behind it.  
  
Ray looked back at Ben, holding his gaze firmly. The last thing he  
wanted was to hurt his friend any more than he already had been. But  
thinking that things could ever have turned out any differently with  
Victoria would probably end up hurting him more than anything.  
  
"No, Benny, she didn't love you. I don't think she even knows what love  
is."  
  
"Yeah, well, I don't think I do either. Up until the end, I thought she  
might actually love me. But if she did, she would have gotten off the  
train." Ben's voice broke and he looked down at his lap.  
  
Ray felt his throat tighten. He wanted to tell Benny everything was  
going to be OK. He wanted to hug him. But most of all, he wanted to  
track down Victoria and kill her with his bare hands.  
  
"Benny... I'm so sorry..."  
  
Fraser didn't look up. "You did me a favor by shooting me, Ray."  
  
"Jesus!" Ray exclaimed. "Are you *thanking* me?!?!"  
  
"No, of course not. I'm just saying that things worked out for the  
best."  
  
Ray felt a sudden odd combination of overwhelming rage and a strong  
desire to burst into tears. So he did the only thing that he could. He  
started to laugh.  
  
Ben looked up sharply.  
  
"Oh, man." Ray gasped out. "Aren't we the pair. Maybe that's why  
we're best friends, Benny. Who the hell else would put up with either  
one of us?"  
  
Fraser grinned.  
  
Ray's laughter tapered off to a few giggles. Fraser looked over at him,  
his smile gone.  
  
"I am sorry, Ray. I am so profoundly sorry."  
  
"Benny," Ray said, laying his hand on Fraser's arm and giving it a firm  
squeeze. "I forgive you."  
  
"God, Ray, how can you?" Ben looked back out the window. Ray noticed  
with some alarm that Ben's eyes were filled with tears.  
  
"I can because I'm your friend, Fraser. Sometimes friends make mistakes,  
and when they do, their friends forgive them."  
  
"Mistakes?"  
  
"OK, really stupid mistakes. But you know, Benny, you've never been one  
to do things in a small way."  
  
To Ray's relief, Fraser laughed.  
  
Ray tightened his grip on Ben's arm. "Fraser." Ray waited until his  
friend had met his eyes, then he spoke very clearly and firmly.  
  
"I forgive you."  
  
Fraser looked at him. Ray really meant it. Ben felt a huge wave of  
relief wash over him. "Thank you." he said simply. Ray nodded.  
  
Both men looked away and took deep breaths, needing to release some of  
the very heavy emotion that had built up in the room.  
  
Ray glanced over at Benny, and a wicked grin spread across his face.  
He  
handed Fraser the binoculars.  
  
"You really wanna thank me? Fifth floor, third window from the left."  
  
Ben looked where directed. "Great Scott!" he said, turning bright red.  
  
Ray burst out laughing. "Yeah, I bet you never saw anything like that  
up in the Great White North, huh, Fraser?'  
  
"Well, actually, Ray, the Inuit have a fertility ceremony that is rather  
close..."  
  
"Fraser."  
  
"Yes, Ray?"  
  
"Shut up and hand me the binoculars."  
  
"Understood."  
  
  
THE END  
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Fiction Archive 


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